Little Black Boot (2004)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Colette Burson

Writer:

Cherien Dabis (writer)

Genre:

Short | Comedy

Plot:

Goth-girl Cindy admires beautiful Laurie from afar, until the night when she dresses as a boy for the prom. Will this gender-bending Cinderella find true love when she leaves behind her little black boot?

Plot Keywords:

Goth Girl | High School Dance | Lesbian | Stepsister | Homosexual

Cast

Carmen Plumb	...	Cindy
Dania Ramirez	...	Laurie Rodriguez
Jane Lynch	...	Grace
Anthony Woods	...	Justin (as J. Anthony Woods)
Amanda MacDonald	...	Victoria
Sara Barrett	...	Samantha
Jodie Weiss	...	Laurie's Friend #1
Luz Beato	...	Laurie's friend in school yard
Emily Mazur	...	Laurie's Friend #2
Tom Donahoe	...	Josh Hanson
Alison Sudol	...	Singer (as Alison Monro)
Mike Hedge	...	Guitarist
John Ireland	...	Teacher
Shawna Riggio	...	Becky
Peter Hoover	...	Guy #3, Josh's friend
Joey Gray	...	Guy #1, Josh's friend
Jerry Hernandez	...	Guy #2, Josh's friend

Directed by
Colette Burson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Cherien Dabis		writer

Produced by
Denise Bitidis	....	associate producer
Alan Cloninger	....	associate producer
Stacy Codikow	....	executive producer
Nicole Colombie	....	line producer
Honey Labrador	....	producer
Christopher Racster	....	producer
Amy Shomer	....	executive producer
Lisa Thrasher	....	associate producer
Mitchell Welch	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jeff Rona

Cinematography by
Tony Molina

Film Editing by
Annette Davey

Casting by
Cathy Henderson
Dori Zuckerman

Production Design by
Jenn Bastian

Art Direction by
Melanie Hubbard

Costume Design by
Rema Freeman

Makeup Department
Staci Witt	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Denise Bitidis	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mike Hedge	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Eric LaBonte	....	set dresser
Konima Parkinson-Jones	....	set dresser
Iris Shih	....	art department production assistant

Camera and Electrical Department
Greg Goldman	....	second assistant camera
Charles Stelzried	....	electrician

Casting Department
Dana Olson	....	casting assistant

Other crew
Hyunjin Jo	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• Power Up Films
• Archer Productions

Distributors

• Logo (2006) (USA) (TV)
• Power Up Films (2003) (worldwide)
• Sundance Channel (2004) (USA) (TV)

Runtime:

16 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Power Up Films

Quotes:

Josh: I'm confused, Cindy. Maybe you can clarify. You want to be a boy? Or do you want to be a girl/boy? Maybe half-girl, or quarter dog!
Laurie: Leave her alone, Josh!
Josh: Are you saying you're on her side?
Laurie: So? What if I am?
Josh: Are you saying you liked it? That dance with her?
Laurie: The thing is, Josh, she's got more balls then any of you.
[Laurie walks over to Cindy, and suddenly kisses her on the lips]
Laurie: And she's a much better kisser.

Real, honest emotion with a twist on the familiar tale

Sticking with the fairy-tale theme of her other film ("Memoirs of an Evil Stepmother"), this is the first short film written by upcoming lesbian director-writer Cherien Dabis.

Directed by Collete Burson and based on the Cinderella story, Carmen Plumb is our heroine -- an angst-ridden high school teenager deep into the Goth look. She pines for the beautiful, radiant Laurie (played wonderfully by Dania Ramirez ["She Hate Me," "Fat Albert"]). But her evil step-mother (played with gleeful evil by Jane Lynch) and horrid older step-sisters pour venom on her. Only the help of a literal fairy -- her gay friend, Justin -- can help transform Cindy into a gender-bending drag king who can crash the prom.

But when Laurie and Cindy connect on the dance floor, it's love at first sight. The high-heels and workman's boots come off to make dancing easier...until Cindy has to rush home at midnight. Will Laurie find out who the "little black boot" belongs to? Is the Pope Catholic?

Plumb is simply wonderful as the despairing but not desperate Cindy who stays true to her self despite the odds. There is real emotion running just beneath those chubby cheeks and behind those brown eyes.

Dania Ramirez is just as wonderful as the blatino prom queen. Her role could have so easily been harsh, preachy and cold in the hands of another actress. But Ramirez makes Laurie into a real person. There's a power, a rawness, a real desperation to escape the fickle embraces of the jocks and my-trophy-wife wanna-be's. Laurie's desperate need for real love is palpable. The film manages to finesse its way past a conundrum of an ending, which is even more satisfying.

While the plot may not be the most inventive, this film is a superb wonder. It really is the best of the fest.